2012-11-12T07:11:53ZFluxBBhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?id=38602I've had a twin air plus now for 4 months now. I've very happy, my students really like it. My pass rate has gone back up from the Audi A1 I had (which seemed difficult to drive for some learners, a lot of pull in them).

The pros- It is fun! I've the Twin Air and it's nippy. Very fun to drive. - Steering is light- Mans. are very simple- Student friendly. Everyone, even big guys like the car.- Ive the sat nav that goes straight into the dash board, I love this. I get live traffic updates and see when jams are up ahead and we need to change routes either on lessons or when going to the next student.- Just feels really well made.

If anyone is looking into getting one, I guess you'll want to know the draw backs are too.- Very sensitive gas pedal. It is so easy to over rev. Which is turn leads to more fuel needed. - The mpg figures from Fiat are nothing short of fat fibs. I can get around 50mpg, when I'm not in a hurry. My students get around 30/35mpg. - Real minimal storage. One little parcel shelf. I get my diary/filofax and a novel in and thats about it. Door pockets are long, but shallow.- The voice recognition is ... well, recognition isn't the word that can be associated to it. My last car made be believe that this was a must for me and the business from now on. It's so poor in the Fiat I can not use it.

]]>http://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/profile.php?id=67822012-11-12T07:11:53Zhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=335865#p335865It's been six months since anyone replied to this topic, but as it's still near the top of the page I'm just reporting in to say that I'll be taking delivery of Luigi III next week, a Twinair Lounge ]]>http://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/profile.php?id=91592011-12-29T21:55:04Zhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=318306#p318306cant wait to give mine back in september to the BSM!im looking at either ford KA/Fiesta or C2!

Erm........isn't the Ford Ka the Fiat's ugly twin?? :?

For the record, I'm on my second privately owned 500, a 1.2 Sport and while it suffers a bit on performance and economy compared to the diesel I'd still choose one over anything else. 8-)

]]>http://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/profile.php?id=5222011-07-08T09:56:18Zhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=309186#p309186fiat 500'swhere to start, awful on fuel, gearbox very clunky n difficult for learners to get to grips with to start withwhat it has got going for it is its turning circle, flipping fantastic!butand this is the butreversing anything through a letterbox rear window is hard, cant wait to give mine back in september to the BSM!im looking at either ford KA/Fiesta or C2!thats my planany thoughts on this?]]>http://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/profile.php?id=106452011-07-08T09:50:13Zhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=309184#p309184Fair enough, that can only mean one less instructor who uses one......I honestly believe this car has kept me in work for the first two-and-a-half years of being indy, because my pupils LOVE it 8-). Not many indys local to me use a 500 probably for all those rational reasons given above :angel:

As for the blind spots, a bit of movement in the seat shows everywhere I need to see......maybe I'm too normal-sized??

]]>http://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/profile.php?id=91592010-07-24T00:45:40Zhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=291066#p291066I looked at one about 6 months ago. Doing my normal test of putting the driver's seat into a position I would be able to drive comfortably in, then jumping into the back and looking at the lateral vision, I thought it was next to useless. I couldn't sit in the back with my legs straight, so how can an SE cope for 45 minutes? I couldn't see out of the rear quarter due to the opposite headrest from either front seat. The right blind-spot, from the drivers seat, extended from the door pillar to the rear window due to the small size of the rear side window and the thickness of the pillars.

I'd loved to consider one, it's a great looking car and I'm sure it's very nice to drive. But, despite wanting to take the Abarth for a test drive, I had to be realsitic and accept that there was no point as there was no way I was going to buy one.

]]>http://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/profile.php?id=58312010-07-23T13:02:16Zhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=291045#p291045Ahem, anyway back to the topic.

I ordered my 500 1.3 Lounge before the launch in January 2008, collected in April and have what is therefore quite possibly the highest mileage car of its type in the UK, with my 60k warranty running out last week 8-)

I must say that it fits in with my job perfectly; to be honest it is not a car I would buy for me personally but my particular model is still very popular with new and current pupils.

The main gripes listed appear to me to be a little misplaced, obviously someone with a history of back trouble and/or the larger build may find such a small car a problem but I've had pupils between 4'8" and 6'4" and I have been able to accommodate every single one, not a single person I've taken on has been disappointed with it.

If I'm honest I would say that the blind spots are quite large considering the size of the car but I've sat in other comparable cars with much worse rear visibility. And yes the rear head restraints (which are std on all 500s except the Pop) stick out a bit even when fully retracted but not to excess.

My own history has amounted to a new clutch last month (typical for a 2 year old school car), new electric power steering module (replaced under warranty), new battery this week (again typical), more than the average number of blown stop/tail lights (five), two pairs of front tyres and one pair of rears (again I think typical) and a couple of engine mount rubbers (also under warranty). Bearing in mind I'm very much a guinea-pig for future cars clocking up this number of miles I think I've done very well, though I expect this particular car will be replaced in the next 12-18 months.

But for me those small problems aside I have absolutely no doubt that the pros outweigh the cons, the main thing is that it still gets me work, the one thing that picks me out from many other ADIs in my area.

I've got the Lounge spec so I have the advantage of air-con over the Pop version (which B$M use, but do they have it fitted?), plus the very-handy-for-close-up-traffic-lights glass roof, chrome bits, Blue&Me (which I don't really use anyway, USB port is handy though), std alloys etc so it really does look better than B$M's.

I get 50mpg average (all driving inc. me) although the nature of the engine's performance doesn't really echo the rest of the car, it's not exactly peppy or brisk in any way. The 1.4 petrol would sort that out, though you'll pay £125 VED a year as opposed to £35 (as a business-more-than-personal car, the saving of £90 + better economy means I'll stick with the diesel)

Would I buy another? Definitely. As long as I avoid ending up looking like just another B$M car and choose one of their awful grey or black colours, maybe next time I'll go for the Pasodoble Red metallic, Cha Cha Azure, Calypso Orange...... Oh and I've test-driven an Abarth

]]>http://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/profile.php?id=91592010-07-21T15:36:49Zhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=290948#p290948BSM charges £385 per week for a franchise

When you put it like that it still sends a shiver down my spin. £20k a year. :?

Not at all, I have no gripe with them or what they do. If their instructors are happy with the franchise and car supplied they will stay, if they are unhappy they have the freedom of choice to go elsewhere. Simples....

]]>http://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/profile.php?id=81112009-11-25T14:35:52Zhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=275721#p275721And let the BSM bashing begin... ]]>http://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/profile.php?id=46682009-11-25T12:07:27Zhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=275714#p275714Maybe the instructors who are paying that fee for a corsa now think that they are being ripped off at being downsized to a 500.

Maybe the change is the straw that broke the camels back for some instructors.I dont know, but I do know that I would not fancy having to sit in a 500 for 7-8-9 hours a day, especially if the first 20 hours a week were worked just to pay a franchise fee.

]]>http://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/profile.php?id=81112009-11-25T10:02:51Zhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=275709#p275709Has anyone heard of Eco friendly driving? and the global warming? and the fact that Vauxhall has almost gone bust and the could not sustain supplying BSM because of their own greed and lack of service? And FIAT (last year they sold 23 cars to instructors, and I asked them to change their ways ) was the only one that was a healthy enough company in this recession to give them a car? Beggars can't be choosers. Their businesses are only about making money!

BSM charges £385 per week for a franchise around South East London/ North Kent! Who in their right MIND, and able to add 2+2 will ever work with them for 1 Millie second longer then necessary? Stupid, fearful, bolockless fools IMHO

]]>http://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/profile.php?id=15062009-11-24T23:17:11Zhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=275693#p275693Many instructors used Ford KA before ,and nobody complained about space .500 is small car but popular and cheap to run (cheaper than my Focus).So leaving BSM for car maybe high franchise fee is reason]]>http://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/profile.php?id=80972009-11-24T19:14:07Zhttp://drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=275674#p275674